After nearly a decade of partnering with the team behind the BMW Dallas Marathon, HCK2 was tapped to help bring its newest race experience to life: the McKinney Historic Half Marathon.

From naming and branding to social media and race-weekend PR, HCK2 helped build the new event from the ground up, creating an identity rooted in McKinney and generating momentum for its debut.

The Challenge

Launching a new race in a crowded event landscape meant creating more than a recognizable logo. The McKinney Historic Half needed its own identity—one that could stand apart while benefiting from the credibility and experience of the organization behind the Dallas Marathon.

The new brand also needed to translate across every part of the runner experience while quickly building an audience and generating excitement for race day.

The Solution

HCK2 started at the beginning: with the name. From there, we developed the McKinney Historic Half Marathon logo and visual identity, then brought the brand to life across finisher shirts, social graphics, event materials, swag and other runner touchpoints.

To introduce the event and build its audience, HCK2 managed an integrated organic and paid social media program beginning with the initial race announcement and continuing through race weekend.

As the event approached, PR efforts accelerated with five press releases, targeted media pitches and race-weekend media alerts designed to keep the event visible and give local media multiple reasons to tell the story.

Together, creative, social and PR created a consistent brand experience from the first announcement through the finish line.

Branding & Event Materials

Social Media

The Results

The inaugural McKinney Historic Half successfully went from a new idea to a fully realized race experience, bringing together thousands of runners, families and spectators for its debut.

HCK2 secured 30 pieces of earned media coverage across 14 outlets, including broadcast and local media, with a potential reach of more than 17.7 million.

On social media, HCK2 published 239 posts, building the event’s audience from zero to more than 1,500 followers and generating 809,000 impressions and nearly 10,000 engagements.

Most importantly, the new brand came to life on race day, creating an experience that showcased McKinney’s historic character and community while delivering the polished race experience participants expected from the team behind the BMW Dallas Marathon.

From naming and identity to launch, promotion and race weekend, HCK2 helped build the McKinney Historic Half from the starting line—and established a strong foundation for the event to grow in the years ahead.